The White Rose of Innocence
by Kasumi Nekozawa
Summary: Being the only heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Eiweiß, young Princess Lili is overprotected and caged. She thought that the only world she would know was the four walls of her castle. That was until the knight Vash Zwingli was tasked to protect her, now her world has started to grow bigger...
1. Chapter 1

**Kasumi's Note: **Moshi-moshi, minna-san! * waves hand high up * I was bored waiting for a certain George deValier to update his stories (Auf Wiederhersen Sweetheart and La Patisserie de la Rose ) so I decided to write a story. But I had no idea that planning it would be so time consuming and that it would turn out to be a **series** of stories!  
So, I present to you the first chapter of the first story in this Chronicles. It's straight… I know… But I just **love** this pairing and I couldn't resist writing about it. Don't worry, my fellow fujoshis, yaoi pairings are also mentioned here. Let's just keep this safe for the innocent teens out there.

Oh, and since my bestfriend asked nicely, I get to dedicate this whole Chronicles to her. So, to my beloved Sakura Huuga, here is the fairytale plot you begged from me. I hope you enjoy reading this since I spent every waking moment of my life into making it.

**Warnings: **lots of OOCness, slight BOYxBOY, Disney-like plot, character death (maybe?)

**Disclaimer: **I'm sorry, but Hetalia does not belong to me. *sigh* If only it did, I can't imagine what I would do. I only take credit for the plot and the names of the fictional places. And I would like to make it clear that I change Liechtenstein's last name into "Vogel" because she is not related to Vash in any way in the story. [see here: /wiki/Liechtenstein]

* * *

_**The White Rose of Innocence**_

The cool afternoon breeze flowed through the branches of the beautiful elm trees as a choir of birds sang to the bright and glowing sun. The afternoon in the Kingdom of Eiweiß was as hot and fresh as the pieces of bread that lay on the table in the middle of the vast garden.

The sweet-smelling brioche was left untouched since its owner was stuck in her own world of thoughts. Her long braided blonde hair was dangling towards her left as she stared at something beyond the high walls of the garden. Her deep green eyes were filled with a desire for something she could not quite grasp…

"Freedom…" she softly uttered, making her chambermaid lean in to hear more.

"What was that, your highness?" a woman with green eyes and long, brown hair replied.

Princess Lili Vogel quickly shook her head, making a waving gesture with her right hand. "Oh, it's nothing…" she lied, "I was just thinking about how beautiful the garden is today, Miss Elizaveta…"

The older woman looked at her with a concerned face. "I see, your highness…" was all she could say.

Lili gave her a sweet smile before turning her back and returning to her thoughts. Only one word was on her mind.

**Freedom. **Something she had longed to have for a while. For fourteen years, she had been locked up in their castle, never given the chance to go out. She longed to see what was outside the castle walls. She dreamt of running in a meadow filled with beautiful daisies then taking a rest in a nearby brook, just like the girls she read about in stories.

She also dreamt of adventure. Of going to neighboring kingdoms, meeting their leaders to tell them about her own little kingdom. She wanted to know more about the world she lived in and not just her room. She wanted…

"Excuse me, your highness…" Elizaveta interrupted.

Lili shook her head at the sound of her chambermaid's voice. She then began to lightly hit her head with her palm, making the older woman stifle a few giggles.

"W-W-What is it, Miss Elizaveta?" she stuttered, blushing at the woman's reaction.

Elizaveta took a deep breath to calm herself. Brushing a few strands of hair from her face, she began to speak.

"Vladimir informed me that Her Majesty requests your presence in the throne room immediately…" she said.

Lili looked confused. "She requested me to proceed to the throne room?" she asked.

Elizaveta nodded.

Lili's brow began to crinkle. "May I ask why?" she asked again.

Elizaveta looked at the ground, sighed, and tried to put on a smile. "I do not know what is the nicest way to say this, your highness…" she began, "But… I believe you have forgotten a very important event again…"

The younger woman's eyes widened in realization. "The Knighting Ceremony!" she exclaimed, standing straight up, "I was too focused on something unimportant that I forgot about the Knighting Ceremony!"

Elizaveta nodded solemnly. She lightly touched the princess' shoulder, making the shorter one calm down.

"Do not fret, your highness…" she assured her, "The Ceremony will not start until an hour from now… You were supposed to be fitting for your gown about two hours ago, though…"

The younger frowned. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she apologized, "_Mama_ must have been furious with you! Oh! It's all my fault again!"

The older smiled at the other's humility. "Not to worry, your highness…" she assured, "Her Majesty is not the kind of woman who would get angry easily…"

Lili let out her breath and smiled nervously. "Oh, that's good…" she sighed, "I thought she would be angry at you… I honestly do not want that to happen…"

"Yes, yes. Your highness…" Elizaveta nodded, "Now, let us get you to the throne room. Her Majesty might really get angry with us if we kept her waiting…"

Elizaveta motioned for two attending maids to clean after the princess' afternoon snack. After that was taken care of, she took her place two steps behind the young woman and they made their way through the wide halls towards the throne room.

* * *

Through the crowded streets of Eiweiß, past the busy merchant's guild and beside a small, run-down inn was a humble little shack. It was rather old, beaten and battered to the point that no one would even imagine that it was still habitable. The roof was incomplete, as the left side of it was blown off during a storm three months ago. The walls were cracked, with vines dangling around them and paint chipped off. The oak door creaked when it was opened and the windows were missing some glass. It was quite a sight to see, causing passersby to stare at it before continuing on their destination.

But to the mother and son who lived in it, it was considered home. And the continues threats of their property being taken from them didn't stop them from celebrating the son's knighting in the Vogel Castle in two hours time.

"Gracious me! I can't believe you made it!" Adelheid Zwingli gasped after hearing the news from her eighteen-year-old son.

"I **did** promise him I'd take his place…." her son replied in a serious tone. His green eyes began to wander to an old, weathered picture of a tall, lean man with bob cut blonde hair. The man was smiling rather proudly, a sword raised to the camera on his right hand while the other was on a little boy's head.

Adelheid smiled knowingly, squeezing her son's calloused hand. "He must be very proud of you right now, Vash…"

Vash Zwingli tried to fight back tears, remembering the smile his father had on his face when he told the old man he was going to be a knight. He gazed briefly at his mother, who was also looking at his old man's picture with a gleam in her eyes.

"_Protect your mother for me…"_

Vash closed his eyes and nodded. His mother wiped at her eyes and lightly tightened her grip on his hand. He looked down at her; she gave him a warm smile.

"Dear me! We shouldn't just be standing here doing nothing!" Adelheid suddenly burst out, moving away from her son. "We should be getting you ready! You said there was a party after the ceremony, am I correct? You must look your best to impress His Majesty!"

She began to move around the small shack, muttering things about a suit her husband stashed somewhere in the dreadful place. Vash became terribly exhausted just by looking at her. She was old, but boy, could she move. As Vash took a seat on a nearby chair she was already crouching down to get something below an old tattered wardrobe.

"Found it!" she cried triumphantly, producing a dusty box from under the ancient wardrobe. She walked towards her son and put the brown box into his lap.

Vash looked at the box, then looked at his mother quizzically. The old woman motioned for him to "go on and open it". The younger did as was told and blew away the dust before gently opening the box's thin lid.

Inside the dirty, old box was a surprisingly spotless white dinner jacket. He took the soft fabric into his hands and inspected it for stains or rips. It was perfect. There were even a white tie and pants underneath it to complete the entire ensemble.

"Mother… Are you sure I can…"

His mother shook her head in reply. "Do not refuse, Vash…" she said, "Your father would have wanted you to wear this… He never had a chance to wear it when we bought it…"

Vash gently put the delicate piece of fabric into the old box. He was not a man of emotion or words, and all he could do to thank his mother for everything was to stand and gently embrace her.

"Thank you, mother…" he whispered gently into her ear.

The woman put her wrinkled hand around him. "Oh, dear…" she replied, "This is what a mother is for…"

The mother and son stood in each other's arms for a while, before Vash realized he was a grown man and blushed in embarrassment. His mother just laughed at his awkward face before urging him to try the white dinner jacket on.

* * *

Of all the rooms in the castle, Lili considered the Throne Room to be the most spacious. It ran thirty meters long and fifteen meters wide with the ceiling almost twenty meters high. On both sides of the room were two arched windows with mirrors set between them that almost occupied the entirety of the walls. To the northern part of the room, on a dais surrounded by bouquets of white roses, were the three thrones of the royal family. A portrait of King Leonhard, Queen Elise and baby Princess Lili Vogel hung behind the three golden thrones.

The moment Vash had stepped into the Throne Room in his tailor-made armor; the first thing he noticed was one of the thrones was empty. King Leonhard, with his blonde hair short, wore a purple velvet cap, a tunic, and over this a long-sleeved cloak. He seemed to be chatting merrily with Queen Elise, who wore an elegant scarlet gown and long, pointed shoes.

Vash leaned on one of the white pillars as he waited for the other knights to appear. As much as he tried to deny it, he was very much anticipating the arrival of Princess Lili whom he was entrusted to protect.

The King had mentioned during a short and private discussion they had that he was confident in placing Vash as a personal knight for his beloved daughter. Vash had agreed, proud that the King had given him such a responsibility before he was even knighted. But he gave a condition, stating that he had to see the Princess first and ask for her opinion.

"I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to protect a Princess who doesn't even want protection…" he muttered under his breath, thinking of all those princesses out there who could handle a sword better than him.

As he stood there thinking about boyish princesses riding around in horses, he didn't notice that a fellow knight had begun to approach him. His scarlet eyes were filled with mischief as he tiptoed towards the serious figure. With a grin, he pounced on the young blonde's back.

"Hey there, Swissy!" he yelled, calling Vash by his unwanted nickname.

Vash staggered forward by the unexpected force he felt. He turned around, furious at the laughing albino. "That really wasn't funny, Gilbert…"

Gilbert Beilschmidt laughed even harder, his right arm caressing his stomach. "Kesesesese!" he laughed, "Man! You should've seen the look on 'yer face, Swissy!"

Vash blushed, something he did when he got embarrassed. Seeing his cheeks turn red pleased Gilbert even more and he had to wipe the tears that formed in his scarlet eyes.

"J-Just stop laughing!" Vash threatened, looking around at the other knights. "You're attracting too much attention! Stop laughing!"

Gilbert began to quite down, covering his mouth with his free hand. "I'm just so awesome!" he boasted, "You're usually so focused but I was able to scare 'ya!"

Vash tried to regain some composure. He avoided looking directly at the albino, fearing that maybe **both** of them were going to be kicked out of the room. "Whatever Gilbert…" he replied, "Just pray there won't be a second time… OR you'll end up being one testicle short…"

Gilbert winced. "Ouch…" he spoke, "Hand off my vital regions will 'ya, Swissy…"

Vash smirked, satisfied with himself. Gilbert was about to say something when trumpets began to blow loudly. They dashed towards their respective rows and watched as the King and Queen stood up to approach the knight who was holding the sword they were to be knighted with.

But they suddenly stopped in front of the man and did not retrieve the sword. The whole room silenced as they waited anxiously for the royal couple's next move.

Queen Elise smiled at them. "Brave and honorable knights…" she spoke, "The very fact that you are here standing before us proves that you have withstood the treacherous training that my own husband prepared for you…"

Gilbert grinned, proud of himself. Vash remained serious as he strained his ears to listen to the Queen's voice.

"Yet, this does not mean you hardships are over…" she continued, wiping the grin off of Gilbert's face.

"All your hardships begin now…" King Leonhard spoke, "You are to leave your trust, your sword and your lives at our command… You are to…"

Before the King had finished, the trumpets blew again and a petite girl came running into the room. She was wearing a beautiful two-piece dress consisting of a white skirt with a light blue overskirt dress and her long braided hair came undone as she tried her utmost best to run faster. As she neared the royal couple, her white mid-heel canvass shoe got caught on the carpet and she came crashing down with a loud **thud**.

The knights roared in laughter as the girl sat in the middle of the gathering, fixing her tousled hair. Vash felt a pang of pity as the girl's pale face turned red and her arms began to shake in embarrassment. Without warning, he stood and approached the poor girl.

"Let me help you, my lady…" he said, reaching out his hand.

The girl looked at her, deep green eyes shimmering with hidden tears. "T-T-Thank you, kind sir…" she stammered nervously, taking Vash's outstretched hand.

As he helped her stand, Vash was surprised at how light the girl was. He helped her put on the white-rose choker-necklace that had fallen off her when she ran. When Vash thought she looked perfectly fine, he noticed that she kept looking at the ground.

"Are you looking for something?" he asked.

The girl nodded without looking at him. "Yes…" she replied, "I seemed to have lost my…"

"I have your crown, my dear…" the Queen finished.

Vash's eyes widened as he watched the girl approach Queen Elise. She kept apologizing as she tried to explain why she was late. He could only hear some words she spoke.

"I-I-I'm sorry for arriving late, Mother…" she stammered, "I-I-I tried to-to put the dress on hastily and… I-I-I…"

The Queen shook her head and the King ruffled the girl's hair. "You were not at fault dear…" they said in unison.

The room silenced as Her Majesty placed the shimmering crown on the young girl's head. At that time, a sudden realization struck Vash.

"Princess Lili…" he said unconsciously, staring at the vulnerable girl standing before them. He could finally see why the King had wanted him to protect his only daughter. He had been the best among the knights during training and he was very capable of protecting anyone. But, he had a strange feeling that he won't be able to protect her from himself…


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings: **lots of OOCness, slight BOYxBOY, Disney-like plot, character death (read to find out)

**Disclaimer: **I obviously don't own Axis Powers Hetalia; therefore the characters DO NOT belong to me. I take credit for the plot and the fictional places, though. Took me a long time to make them, too!

* * *

"Oh, Elizaveta! It was awful!" Lili sighed as the brown-haired woman assisted her in changing.

Elizaveta Hedervary was silently nodding, pulling the Princess' dress over her tiny head. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, your Highness…" she comforted.

Lili carefully sat on the edge of her bed, clad only in her corset and underwear. "It was terrible!" she complained, spreading her arms for emphasis. "T-T-The entire throne room was filled with laughter! All the knights were laughing at me! I even saw mother and father stifling giggles!"

The older woman listened, secretly amused at how the usually quiet and shy Princess was talking so loudly. She hanged the light blue dress inside the huge wardrobe across the room. "Well…" she said, "If I may, your Highness, it was your fault for rushing into the room like that!"

The blonde pouted, "I wish they had already forgotten about it today…" she continued to sigh.

Elizaveta laughed, placing a maroon dress in front of her. "Hurry and change, your Highness…" she requested, "Or else you'll be late for Roderich Edelstein's piano lessons…"

Lili curled up on her bed and rested her head unto her lap. "I feel humiliated…" came her muffled voice, "I do no wish to attend Mr. Edelstein's lessons…"

Elizaveta sighed. "Your Highness…" she called, "Get changed before…"

She was interrupted mid-sentence when Vash Zwingli came prancing in, oblivious to the fact that Lili was still undressed. He was fully clad in armor, his metal boots making weird sound as it came into contact with the carpet.

"Excuse me, your Highness…" he said, "But Mr. Edelstein is looking for-"

Both women stopped what they were doing and just stared at Vash as if he was a ghost .When he looked up, his eyes widened at the site of Lili; her small breast hardly visible through her light blue corset, her hair was a mess that pooled at by her knees. Her underwear, with bear prints on them, slid a little low down her narrow waist, though not low enough to reveal everything but enough for a blush to creep unto Vash's face. Lili's mouth was ajar as she continued to stare at him, her eyes in complete shock.

"Ah, uhm…"he stammered, his hands just hovering over the knob. "Uhm… Ah… P-Pardon for the intrusion, your Highness… I-I-I'll be leaving now…"

He left the room as quickly as he entered, leaving the two women gaping at the door. They paused for a moment, unable to get over what had just happened. The first to break the silence was Lili as she gave a rather weak cry before collapsing unto her bed. Elizaveta rushed to her side, trying to soothe the already humiliated Princess. Lili repeatedly muttered about how no bachelor on Rosaria was going to take her as a bride. All she could do was just to sit beside her on the bed, trying to think of words to make the younger woman feel better.

* * *

Vash Zwingli just stood outside the Princess' door, albeit a little dazed. A drop of sweat dropped from his shaggy blonde hair unto his face. He leaned back, his hand gripping his forehead. Since when did he forget to knock before coming into a room?

"What's wrong with me?" he mentally screamed, "Why did I just barge in like that? The Princess was changing! She was clad only in a corset!"

He walked to the wall across him, stopped only a few inches short of it, then began hitting his head against it. He swore words in a variation of languages, cursing himself for being such an idiot. This was the strange state he was in when a certain albino walked past him.

"Hey, Swissy!" he called, stopping a few feet away. He ran back to where the blonde was hitting his head and forcefully turned him around. "Swissy!" he screamed, "Being a knight zat hard for ya?"

Vash snapped back into place after hearing Gilbert's voice. He immediately recomposed himself, shaking his head vigorously. "Of course not, Gilbert…" he lied, "I just stumbled upon something that I shouldn't have seen…"

He blushed upon hearing the words stumble out of his mouth. Gilbert felt that something humiliating must've happened. Vash wasn't the type of guy who would blush for no reason. He glanced at the door across them, realizing it lead to the Princess' room. With a twinkle in his amazing scarlet eyes, he looked back at the blushing Vash.

"Vat happened in za room with ze Princess?" he smirked. Vash looked at him with a surprised look, making him even more curious. "C'mon, Swissy…" he teased, "Vat did ya see?"

Vash blushed even more, turning into the color of the fruit that Gilbert's friend was fond of. Gilbert felt proud of himself, being able to make the stern man blush that way. He felt like he wanted to tease the shorter man even more.

"I-I-I saw nothing…" Vash lied, looking sideways at the room. A memory of Princess Lili sitting half-naked on her bed flashed across his mind. He turned a shade darker.

"Don't lie to me, Swissy…" Gilbert continued, "I can tell zat you saw something…"

Vash pushed him away, the usual stern look coming back to his face. "I told you I saw nothing!" he denied, "Whether you believe me or not, it is not my choice. Rather, it's yours…"

He walked back to the door, lightly knocked, then took the Princess' petite hand as she opened it. The two blonde's walked away, leaving Gilbert just standing there. Elizaveta came out shortly afterward and glanced at Gilbert.

"Do ya know something, Veta?" Gilbert asked.

Elizaveta smiled knowingly, "I'll tell you over at Antonio's tonight, Gil…"

They nodded, smiled and then went their separate ways.

* * *

The music room was a spacious area with marble pillars and a high roof from which dangled a lavish golden chandelier. Each and every note of Pachelbel's "Canon in D" echoed through the entire room, placing a smile on a certain man's face as he closed his eyes and listened to the Princess' play the piece on her flute. Elizaveta and Vash, who were standing by the door, kept silent and just let the music wash over them. Even Gilbert, the usually restless and boisterous one, shut his mouth as he too closed his eyes. The room was filled with the joyous melody until…

"SCREEEEEECH!"

Lili, for what seemed like the hundredth time, blew the flute too hard. The beautiful melody was once again replaced by Roderich Edelstein's heavy sigh. Lili cringed, hugging the metal object closer to her chest. She prepared for whatever Roderich had to say to her.

"How many times has it been?" he simply asked, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. His brow was visibly twitching in annoyance and a drop of sweat was forming on the one unruly curl on his brunette head.

Lili blushed, "I… I haven't been counting, Mr. Edelstein…" she replied cautiously.

Roderich's hand curled into a fist. "I see…" he said under his breath.

"It's only her twentieth mistake, Roddy!" Gilbert yelled from where he was standing, "Give Her Highness a break already, _princesszin!"_

The man in white turned to glare at him. Gilbert just responded with a cocky grin, sending unnecessary shivers up Roderich's spine. He rolled his violet eyes and spoke softly: "Is anything the matter, your Highness?"

Lili quickly shook her head. Her eyes momentarily glanced sideways at Vash, who at that moment was watching her. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second before she returned her gaze towards Roderich and his gaze on something invisible on the floor. Unfortunately for them, Roderich's eyes were sharp enough to see what had happened.

"Take a short break for now, your Highness…" he said, walking away. Lili nodded vigorously, eyes fixed on the ground.

Roderich approached Vash, ignoring the fact that Elizaveta was giggling beside him. Gilbert, too, had been watching him closely. Despite reminding himself that Gilbert could never affect him, he couldn't stop but feel nervous.

"Vash…" he whispered, "What just happened?"

Vash looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean 'what just happened'" he asked back.

"You know exactly what I mean… Your eyes only met for a second and she was already blushing like crazy…"

The latter's hand twitched. "Is that so? I didn't notice…" he lied.

Roderich sighed. "I have a feeling it would be a bother to try and coax you to tell me the reason why Princess Lili is nervous with you around…" he said, "I might as well ask Elizaveta.

He turned to the green-eyed woman whose eyes were glued on the little Princess fidgeting in her seat. She knew Roderich was going to ask her about what happened, so she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Elizaveta… I-"

"I'll tell you over at Antonio's tonight…" she hurriedly replied, "Gilbert's been pestering me about it, too. I'll explain it all later…"

Roderich could feel a lump suddenly appear in his throat. "G-Gilbert's coming?" he swallowed, "I-I-I don't think I can come to Antonio's tonight…"

Elizaveta smiled even wider. "Oh, Roddy…" she teased, "I remember you telling me yesterday that Gilbert doesn't have any effect on you… Where's all that attitude now?"

Roderich huffed, making her giggle a bit. He turned on his heels and walked back to where Lili had been sitting. He continued with his lesson, occasionally catching Vash glancing at the Princess. And at times, he would catch Gilbert smirking at him.

* * *

Later that evening, as the moon watched over the sleeping kingdom and a black cloak of darkness hung on the castle's shoulders, one small remained lit in one of the castle's higher towers. And from the tower peered a young blonde, long hair flowing in the wind. By the light of the full moon, her façade looked ever beautiful to the men working down below. But, she did have a rather melancholic air about her.

"Do you have to go, Miss Elizaveta?" Lili asked, moving away from the window.

"I am very sorry, your Highness…" she apologized, "But I have a very important appointment tonight and I am not allowed to miss it…"

"_I have to meet Gil and Roddy at the pub tonight…"_

Lili sighed, jumping unto her bed. "I am not used to falling asleep after you leave…" she confessed, "You have always waited for me to drift to dreamland before you left…"

"_She' so cute I could just eat her up!" Elizaveta thought._

"If it makes you feel any better," she replied, "Vash I just outside and you can call on him if ever you get scared…"

Lili blushed. "V-V-Vash?" she stuttered, "T-The knight Father assigned to guard me?"

Elizaveta nodded.

"But Miss Elizaveta!" she exclaimed, "I-I-I…"

"You're embarrassed to see him after what happened earlier this morning…" Elizaveta finished. Lili nodded in reply, burying her head on a soft pillow.

The woman just sighed. "Well, your Highness," she said sternly, "You have to deal with the fact that he would be your companion for the night. He has done nothing wrong and he has been doing his job with perfection. Trust him and put aside what happened this morning."

Lili tried to protest, but Elizaveta raised her eyebrow. She just slipped under her covers and tucked herself in. The chambermaid smiled, curtseying. She took the candle stand by the door then looked back.

"Good night and sweet dreams, your Highness…"

"Wait, don't-"

Elizaveta left and the entire room was filled to the roof with darkness. Darkness; something Princess Lili was absolutely terrified of. She tossed and turned in her bed, trying to focus on the light of the moon.

"_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down  
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now  
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound…"_

She repeatedly sang to herself the lullaby her Mother had been very fond of. Though she was not as good as the Queen, she was able to comfort herself with the sweet melody. Just when she was drifting into slumber, the tall cypress by her window creaked. She opened her eyes in fright and saw the cypress branch that looked eerily like a monster's hand.

She screamed. Vash heard her.

He immediately opened the door, hand on his sword, ready to attack anyone who would charge at him. Lili had other plans though as she rushed to him, enclosing his neck with both her arms and hugging him very tightly.

"Uhm…" he began, "Is something the matter, Princess?"

Lili looked up at him, her eyes a bit teary. "M-M-Monster…" she stammered, pointing towards the window.

Vash narrowed his eyes, unable to see anything in the dark. He grabbed the torch that was hung in the in the hall and proceeded towards the eerie hand.

Lili grabbed his hand and pulled on it. "Don't!" she begged, "It'll eat you! I don't want anyone to be eaten! Not in my kingdom!"

Vash was amused at how childish the Princess was acting. He could feel her hand shaking as it latched tightly unto his. "I will be fine, your Highness…" he assured her, glancing over his shoulder. "I have been trained for this…"

He cautiously walked towards the hand, leaving Lili clutching the door's edge. He could hear her telling him to be careful as he got closer and closer. Finally, when he focused the torch's light on it, he saw it was just a tree branch.

"There is nothing to be afraid of your Highness…" he called back, "It is just a tree branch. It won't eat you…"

Lili hurriedly ran to him, hiding behind his back. "A-Are you sure?" she asked.

Vash nodded.

She jumped back into her bed and pulled her blanket over her body. She peered through the covers and looked at him. Her face still looked very scared.

"Vash…" she had said, "C-Can you leave the light? I… I'm afraid of the darkness…"

Vash smiled. "Of course, your Highness..."

"And..." she hesitated, "C-Can you wait here until I fall asleep… If-If it doesn't trouble you… Miss Elizaveta left for the day and I'm not used to sleeping alone…"

He nodded in response, leaving the lit torch in on the stand in the room. He walked towards her bed and sat on its edge. He watched as the Princess closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. Her breathing was rather quick and irregular, telling Vash that she was still a bit shaken of what happened. He repeatedly ran his fingers through her hair, humming a sweet lullaby. Soon enough, she her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. The knight stood up, whispered "good night" and walked back to his post.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

* * *

The trio, after Elizaveta finally got Lili's permission to leave early, went straight to the run down pub situated at the heart of the town. Gilbert had been waiting for her in front of the castle gates, dressed in his casual clothing. Roderich, though reluctant at first, was standing beside the albino when Elizaveta reached them and there was a tinge of pink on his cheeks when she winked at him.

When they reached their friend's pub, the _Casa de España_, they seated themselves on the high stools in front of the long wooden counter. An overly cheery man with brown hair and sparkling green eyes greeted them with a wide grin.

"Long time no see, _mi amigos!"_

Gilbert raised his right hand and the man smacked it with his. "Sure was a long time! How ya doing, Antonio?" he asked, a mischievous grin on his face.

Antonio Fernandez Carriedo smiled even wider, if that was even possible. He leaned in and whispered something into Gilbert's ear, making Elizaveta a bit suspicious. When the tanned man finally backed away, Gilbert started laughing uncontrollably.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Elizaveta complained.

"Oh! You're here, Veta?" Antonio exclaimed as if he just noticed her.

"Don't act dumb, Tony…" she sneered, "All of us know you're not_**that**_dumb."

"Sorry, _amiga_!" he apologized, "Did you want something?"

Elizaveta raised and eyebrow, "What did you just tell Gil? And why the hell is he laughing his ass off?"

"Oh…" Antonio began, "Well... I guess you could say I told him that my love life just got a bit interesting…"

He winked at her and her eyes grew wide. "You better tell me everything that happens between you and whoever it is or I will castrate you!" she threatened, barring her teeth at him.

Gilbert leisurely put his hand around her shoulders. "Chill, Veta…" he crooned, "Vhy are ya so interested in this anyway?"

Elizaveta looked at him with eyes that sent shivers down any man's spine. "Don't ask…" she warned him, motioning for a beer Antonio put in front of her, "Let's just assume that ever since I started dating a certain man I could never look at any other man the same way…"

Roderich cringed, feeling that she was referring to him. He cleared his throat and grabbed the other mug of beer Antonio prepared.

"_Elizaveta!" he mentally screamed, "I thought we discussed this! There is nothing amusing about a man preferring other men!"_

"So, Veta…" Gilbert interrupted, leaning on the counter, "Care to tell me and Roddy here about what's happening between Vash and our Princess?"

Roderich inched closer, expecting Elizaveta to finally answer their question from earlier. Antonio also leaned in, his attention caught by the words Gilbert just uttered. Elizaveta took a swig of her beer then started to tell them what happened.

She told them about Lili's embarrassing entrance during the knighting ceremony, ignoring the peals of laughter from Gilbert and Antonio. She described how romantic it felt when Vash helped Lili up from the floor and led her towards the King and Queen.

"Kesesesesese! So that's what happened!"

"Shut up, Gil! I'm just getting to the good part!"

She then proceeded to the incident in the Princess' bedroom. She told them how Lili was only wearing her underwear and corset when Vash unexpectedly strode into the room, unaware of what state the Princess was in. She told them about how funny he looked when he finally realized that he entered at a bad time. The three men laughed when Elizaveta described Vash's silliness as he tried to leave the room as quickly as possible, his face a crimson red.

"You should've seen Vash's face when he saw Lili on the bed! He was as red as one of Antonio's tomatoes!"

"Was he that red? My tomatoes are known as the reddest in the kingdom!"

"I assure you, Tony… He was _**that**_ red!"

"I never thought there was a day when Vash would forget his manners… For him to walk into a room like that without knocking, it's so unlike him."

"You got a point, Roddy… Kesesesese! So Mister I-Always-Know-What-I'm-Doing isn't always so hot, huh?"

The drunken albino laughed heartily at his own joke, pounding his fists on the long wooden table. Elizaveta took a swig of her beer and slammed the mug on the table, laughing. The brunette just looked at them, pushed his glasses up his nose, and quietly giggled. Antonio was smiling like an idiot as he and Gilbert put their arms on each other's shoulders.

* * *

And that's how the four spent the night, laughing and talking about the innocent Princess and the slightly awkward knight. After a few short hours and a couple dozen drinks, Gilbert and Elizaveta were completely intoxicated. Roderich, who only drunk one mug of beer, felt only a bit light-headed.

"Ugh…" Elizaveta grunted, "Antonio… Is your cousin Laura here? I think I'll just go back with her…"

"_Si_, she's in the kitchen…" Antonio replied, "I'll go ahead and tell her."

"E-Elizaveta, I'll think I'll go now…" Roderich announced, getting up from his chair.

Elizaveta quickly grabbed his shoulder and gripped it tightly. "Not so fast, Roddy…"

Roderich turned and she pointed towards Gilbert who was declaring his awesomeness at one corner of the pub. He blushed, his eyes widening. "You don't mean I-"

"Take Mister Awesome here home," she said, "I'm sure you'll have no trouble in doing that, right?"

Roderich sighed. He wanted to protest and say he was too drunk to help the man home, but that would mean going against his principles and lying to a drunken woman. In the end, he gave up and walked towards Gilbert.

"Enough of this nonsense, Gilbert!" he demanded, "Let's go home!"

Gilbert looked at him and smirked, sending invisible electric currents up his back. "Who says I'm gonna listen to you, _prinzessin?_" he challenged, pulling him closer by the hip.

Roderich huffed, furious at the taller man's behavior. "Let go of me this instant, Gilbert!" he yelled, kicking him.

Gilbert released him, laughing. Roderich just stared at him, nostrils flaring. "Gilbert, you're obviously drunk and I am taking you home!" he declared.

Standing up, he grabbed the albino's arm and practically dragged him out of the pub. Elizaveta, who was silently watching from the counter, waved a small piece of cloth in the air as if to cheer Roderich on. When the men had left, she fell fast asleep. A woman with short blonde hair arrived later on and carried her on her shoulders.

"Gilbert, you're heavy…"

"_Nein… Ich bien awesome!"_

Roderich rolled his eyes. Gilbert had declared himself awesome for nearly an hour now as the two of them staggered through the town's square. As Roderich held Gilbert's arm in place over his shoulders, he could not ignore the stench of alcohol that hung unto Gilbert's clothes or the fact that albino's face was pressing against his cheek.

"_Get yourself together, Roderich. You just need to get him back to the knight's quarters in the castle. That's only about thirty minutes away… Endure this."_

"_Ich liebe dich, prinzessin…"_

Roderich's eyes widened at what the man had just uttered. He glanced at the albino's face and he could see he was staring right at hi with those scarlet eyes of his. He could feel a blush creep up his face as he quickly turned away; hoping Gilbert didn't see his reaction in the dim light of the moon.

"You're drunk, Gilbert. Stop sprouting all this stupid nonsense…"

He kept his eyes on the ground, his heart thumping as he felt the man's cold breathe on his nape.

"I might be drunk Roddy, but I'm not crazy…"

"Shut up already."

"Ya know, a friend of mine once told me that people speak the truth when they're drunk. Do ya believe that?"

Roderich could feel his heart pound loudly against his chest. Gilbert sure picked the wrong time to sweep him off his feet. Could the albino just shut up and let him carry him home in peace?

"No, I don't. Now go to sleep so I can carry you home quietly."

Gilbert was silence for a while, making Roderich sigh in relief. Maybe he finally listened to him and was sleeping soundly against his shoulder. Unfortunately for the brunette, Gilbert had other plans. He used all his remaining strength to push Roderich down on the cobblestone road.

Roderich felt a sharp pain as he fell forward, his glasses flying off into the darkness. Gilbert was on top of him, supporting his body with one hand beside Roderich. He smirked, stroke that unruly curl on the latter's head, and kissed him.

Roderich felt fireworks go off inside his head as Gilbert's tongue intertwined with his. He felt his arms going around the albino's body pulling him closer. He felt so lost in that drunken man's arms, albeit confused as to how it turned out that way.

"_Fate is a cruel mistress. This was not what I imagined would happen when I agreed to go drinking with Elizaveta. This was far from what I imagined."_

When Gilbert finally broke the kiss, he stood up and offered Roderich his hand. The shorter man reluctantly accepted it, looking at the ground to hide the fierce blush on his face.

Gilbert pulled him close and whispered in his ear. "Let's go home, _prinzessin…"_

* * *

(And somewhere in the corner, Hungary is squealing her heart out! She's very proud of Little Roddy right now!)

**Kasumi Note: **Sorry for the late update and the short(?) chapter. I wish I could give you more but my internet is currently dead and my Mom is too cheap to buy me one of those USB-stick-thingies that give you access to the internet. Well, even though I won't be able to give the third chapter for a while, I was hoping you'll settle for this one instead. Thank you for your patience and I promise to reward you with a good third chapter!

By the way, the song Lili sang to herself is "Safe and Sound" by: Taylor Swift. To those who haven't heard it yet, I suggest you do. It's a really nice song and it's what inspired me to write this fic. So if you have time, listen to it on youtube, kay?


	3. Chapter 3

**Kasumi Note: **Okay, chapter three is finally out after what seemed like an eternity of writing it. I got writer's block after writing chapter two, so I had to ponder for a while on how to start this chapter. I hope you guys didn't get bored of waiting, cause I really didn't mean to make you wait so long. And I'm sure some of you are guessing that I don't have a BETA. Your guess is right *sigh* I really don't have a BETA. So I hope you guys will forgive me if I've committed some grammatical errors! Gomen ne!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hetalia and I'm pretty sure I won't own it any time soon. The plot and the fictional places are mine, though.

* * *

The first rays of dawn had started to filter through Princess Lili's bedroom window when the sleeping princess stirred awake. She had heard faint sounds of people arguing in the room beside her, something that caught her attention.

"Who could be arguing at this hour?" she asked herself as she gently wiped the traces of sleep from her face. She flung her feet off her bed and tossed her blanket aside. Slipping into her fluffy white slippers, she walked unsteadily over to the door.

Turning the knob, she took a peek outside and discovered her room was unguarded. She felt a pang of disappointment when she could see Vash was nowhere in sight. Nonetheless, she made her way to the room beside her.

Just as she was about to reach for the door, she heard her mother's voice say: "What do you think they are planning, Leonhard?"

Lili froze in front of the door, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. Elizaveta told her once that eavesdropping was bad, but she had no other choice.

"I myself am not sure what that despicable kingdom is planning, but as what I've heard from Queen François they are planning to raid our kingdom… " her father's voice replied.

Lili cringed. She wanted to barge into the room and demand her parents to explain everything she had heard, but that would mean confessing that she had eavesdropped on their conversation. She decided she'll just keep quiet and listen.

"We must act quickly, then! Those pirates may arrive at our docks sooner than expected!" Queen Elise panicked, pacing around their spacious bedroom.

"Do not fret, darling. The kingdom of Ciel is willing to assist us once they arrive at our shores." King Leonhard assured.

"Our little kingdom can't possibly stand against those pirates. The kingdom of Rouge can be so unruly! Why do they choose to include peaceful Eiweiß in their strife with Ciel?!"

"I'm sure their king, if Captain Arthur Kirkland can be called such, has some sort of evil plan in that tormented head of his…"

"That name! Don't you dare mention that ungrateful pirate's name! Arthur Kirkland! Just the mention of his name makes my blood boil!"

"Calm yourself, Elise. I know that he had been your student, and mine, once before… I just can't comprehend what lead him to live a pirate's life…"

Lili shivered at the though of her parents teaching Captain Kirkland, the most feared pirate in Rosaria. It must have taken her parents a week, at least, to contain that person in a room. She knew it was not n easy task to get Arthur Kirkland to listen to you.

As Lili stayed glued to her parents' bedroom door, her thoughts began wander about. She imagined what it was like to be teaching someone as notorious as Arthur Kirkland. She was lost in her own fantasies that she did not feel Elizaveta's presence behind her.

"Your highness…" she called, tapping her foot on the floor.

Lili quickly turned around, a blush creeping unto her face. _"I hope Elizaveta didn't think I was eavesdropping on Mother and Father…"_

"Oh! Good morning Miss Elizaveta! I'm sorry, I did not see you…" she answered.

Elizaveta raised an eyebrow, hands folded in front of her chest. Lili saw a frying pan was in her right hand and she gulped. _Had Elizaveta caught her eavesdropping?_

"I hope you were not doing what I think you were doing?" she asked, something menacing in her tone.

"W-What did you think I was doing?" Lili asked her back, pretending to be innocent.

Elizaveta rolled her eyes and grabbed the Princess' arm, leading her far from the Royal Couple's door. She then eyed the halls to see if anyone was approaching. Satisfied that no one was in sight, she turned to Lili.

"What did I teach you about eavesdropping, your Highness?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Uhm… You told me not to do it?" she shrugged, shrinking away from Elizaveta's dominating presence.

Elizaveta nodded. "Good" she said, "I'll pretend I did not see you eavesdropping at your parent's door. So if you'll follow me, you have your fencing lessons…"

* * *

Lili meekly nodded. She followed two steps behind Elizaveta as the latter sashayed down the halls. She kept glancing back, half-expecting her parents to go out of their room. But the King and Queen were far too busy discussing the probability of a war to even think about going out.

"You're late, your Highness…" was the first thing Vash said when Lili approached him. He was clothed in a fencing suit, leaning on the fountain placed in the middle of the courtyard.

Lili shrugged, struggling to zip up her own fencing suit. "I-I'm really sorry, "she apologized, looking very sheepish, "I was. I was busy doing something. I didn't mean to make you wait, Mister Zwingli…"

Vash cleared his throat and stood erect. "It's fine, your Highness…" he assured her, "I did not wait long. And, I had some company to keep me distracted…"

Lili smiled, causing Vash to stare at the ground. The latter was never really good with women and girls. He probably wasn't really good with any female, as his horse tends to disobey him a lot.

"M-Moving on…" he began, "Let us start our lesson. Please put on you protective mask, your Highness. As your knight, I do not want to see you getting hurt…"

Lili did was told and covered her face. Both went into their fighting stance and seconds later, the sound of clashing blades filled the courtyard. Elizaveta stood at the sides, watching the fight. She smiled to herself, remembering the time she dressed as a man and joined the military.

"If the Princess was with me when I was in the military," she thought, "She would have been a formidable opponent…"

Her words were nothing but true. Princess Lili was small in stature, but she was agile. With every thrust of her saber, Vash would have trouble dodging. She controlled her blade with as much ease as a pianist moved his hands over piano keys.

"She's good…" Vash thought, trying to keep his pace.

Lili remained emotionless behind her mask. One strong thrust and she sent Vash crashing to the ground. Unfortunately, she did not notice that Vash had gripped her blade. So when he fell, she followed and lay right on top of him.

Vash turned red and it seemed like steam was escaping from his ear. Lili, too, lost her focus. She quickly removed her mask simultaneous with Vash. They bother stared at each other, green orbs meeting emerald ones.

"Ah, uhm, ahn…" Lili stuttered, her eyes swirling, "I-I-I… I'm uhm, I…"

Vash didn't say a word. He just sighed and looked at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible. _Can't Lili stop stammering and just get off him?_

As if she could read his mind, Lili began to slide off him. She knelt down next to him, muttering incomprehensible things that sounded like apologies. Her face was flushed and she kept staring at the ground, Vash doing the same.

"It seems like the Goddess of Love wants these two together…" she told herself, watching as Vash took Lili's hand and pulled her up. Something in the way Vash looked at Lili told Elizaveta that love was just around the corner.

* * *

Evening was drawing near and the sun had painted the sky a reddish orange hue. The street peddlers who were usually out until late midnight hurriedly gathered their goods and made fast towards their homes. A heavy mist enveloped the kingdom, making the desolate central square look even more desolate. All doors were locked and all windows were closed. No one stayed out on the streets.

The castle as well seemed oddly lifeless. Everyone spoke in hushed whispers, avoided eye contact with each other and hurriedly walked away the moment they were seen by a member of the royal family. Word had spread about the upcoming invasion of their humble kingdom making everyone jittery and nervous. To add to their anxiety, rumors of a possible treason circulated amongst the servants and knights. The people didn't know who they could trust anymore.

"Well, this is boring!" Elizaveta yawned, leaning into the kitchen counter. "Lili's fallen asleep, I can't go out cause the King says so, Gil's out on some errand and even Vladimir* decided to disappear today! Who am I supposed to talk to? Hell, even Roderich's off somewhere!"

The girl from the other side of the counter giggled."I'm still here…" she replied, "Or are you waiting for me to go off and disappear too?"

"Not funny, Laura…" Elizaveta sighed.

"Oh Veta… Still grumpy as always, I see…" Laura van Rijn joked, waving the spoon she had been holding at the other's face.

Elizaveta grumbled. "I'm not always grumpy… It's just this whole treason thing that's getting on my nerves. I mean, who would spread such lies?"

"The one who's planning to commit treason, that's who!" Laura replied, "He's spreading all there rumors to cause trouble within the castle. When he sees that everyone is distracted trying to find the traitor, bam! He launches the invasion!"

"Sound plausible…" Elizaveta murmured, sunk in thought. "But, who is the traitor?"

"That's the question…" came a voice from the door.

The girls turned to see Gilbert leaning by the kitchen door. He had the Cheshire cat's grin and an odd yellow bird decided to take refuge on his shoulder. As he strode towards Elizaveta, he picked up an apple from a nearby table and leisurely threw it in the air.

"And what're **you** doing here? I thought the King sent you off to the next village to do an errand." Elizaveta said, kicking one of the stools so it glided towards the albino.

"Well, I finished it quickly. There's nothing someone as awesome as me can't do!" he bragged, taking the stool. "So, about the traitor…"

"Do you know who it is?" Laura interrupted, leaning in with a bowl of dough still in her hand.

"No…" Gilbert replied.

Laura quickly leaned back, disappointed. "I thought you knew because you were acting so suspicious!" she whined.

"Laura, honey, Gil has always been suspicious. Trust me." Elizaveta joked, raising her eyebrow at Gil.

"Shut up!" Gilbert yelled, "Listen. I may not know who it is but I've got my suspicions…"

"But everyone has their suspicions… You're not the only one…" Elizaveta pointed out.

"Ah! But, Veta dear, unlike those idiots my suspicions are backed up by reliable sources…"

"Like who?"

"Take Antonio, for example. You do know what he was before he owned Casa de España?"

"I'm sure my cousin was a pirate. That was before…" Laura whispered making sure no one heard her, "Before that Captain Kirkland decided to burn his ship. I think he's still in contact with his former crew members, though."

"So? What's the connection with Antonio's former crew members to the traitor?" Elizaveta asked.

"Antonio's former crew happens to be working for Captain Kirkland…" Gilbert answered, "And those idiots are as loyal to Antonio as that bastard is loyal to his tomatoes..."

"And what did they say about the traitor?"

"They told me very valuable information…" Gilbert replied, "First of all, our traitor's no adult. He's a little kid. A kid younger than the Princess."

"A kid?!" the girls chorused, "Are you serious?!"

"_Ja. _The kid's got blue eyes, blonde hair and eyebrows that look like caterpillars." Gilbert continued.

"Do you think it's fair to just arrest some little kid for treason? I doubt that he even knows what he's doing!" Elizaveta started to complain, pushing herself away from the counter.

"Veta, please calm down!" Laura begged, placing her bowl on the counter, "Let Gilbert continue. I think he's not finished."

"Vhy don't ya wait?!" Gil called out, "I got another source to back me up!"

"Who?"

"The Prince of Ciel himself, Prince Francis Bonnefoy…" Gilbert replied, a grin spreading across his face.

"Francis?!" Laura cried in shock, "It's been a long time since he last talked to us! How'd you get him to leave his precious palace?"

"I didn't do anything. He just barged in at Antonio's yesterday, spouting all this nonsense like '_I have a little brother' _and '_Mon dieu, why didn't maman tell me'. _ I thought he lost his mind or something. But then he saw me and called my name out so it was all good. He even ordered the usual red wine he used to order…" Gilbert recalled.

"What else did he do?" Elizaveta asked.

"He started telling me 'bout the treason the little kid's planning…" Gilbert continued, "He said the kid belongs to Captain Kirkland. Something he had when that bastard decided to have some fun with the women in Rouge. He said something about the kid wanting to be like his father. Poor boy thinks Kirkland's supposed to be his mentor and does whatever he says…"

"That includes infiltrating the palace and betraying the King…" Elizaveta interrupted.

"Ja… That sums it up…"

The room fell silent. Elizaveta silently shook her head at the ground, Laura trying to comfort her by rubbing her back. Gilbert just watched her carefully, analyzing what she would do next.

"So…" she finally said, "What's the boy's name?"

"Peter…" Gilbert replied. "Peter Kirkland…"

* * *

"You may come in now, Peter..." Queen Elise called.

The door to the Royal Library slowly opened, revealing a small boy the age of twelve dressed in a blue sailor's uniform. He held his blue hat within his hands and was nervously wringing it. As he walked towards the Queen's chair he kept his eyes fixated on the carpeted floor and never once raised his head, even while bowing.

"What did you call me for, your Majesty?"

"It's about this, Peter..." Elise began. She opened a small drawer from the right hand corner of her desk and brought out a crisp white envelope sealed with snowy wax. She held it up to the light to inspect its content then nodded when she saw they were all there. Gently, she took Peter's hand and placed the envelope there.

"May I ask what it is, your Majesty?"

"It's a letter for the King, my child. I trust you will be able to give it to him right now, yes?" Elise replied as she patted the boy's head with a warm smile. "I take it that you're not busy?"

"Oh, no, your Majesty! I was just wandering around the garden. I can definitely take this to King Leonhard…" Peter hurriedly replied, his eyes sparkling.

"Very good. Now go."

The lad excitedly put his hat back on and ran out of the library. The Queen just smiled after him, unaware that the letter was never able to reach King Leonhard.

When Peter noticed that he was a good distance from the library, he grinned and darted towards the courtyard. Hiding the letter in his shirt, he smiled and waved at the other servants who passed him by. He even stopped to talk with the grumpy old cook who just looked at him with disgust.

"Jolly good afternoon Mister Renwick! What're we having for supper tonight?"

"Gah! Off with you, little rascal. I have no time to talk with ya young 'uns!"

Peter giggled and continued to run. He hastily entered the house where the young servant were staying and directly went up to his room. Once there he locked the door and tried to catch his breath.

"I have the letter, Cap'n!" he gleefully announced, holding up the crumpled letter with pride.

"Very good, lad…" a man in a white dress shirt replied. He was seated rather arrogantly on the boy's bed with one foot over the other. A devilish grin was plastered on his face as he stretched out one laced finger at the boy and beckoned for him to come forward.

Peter did as was told and proceeded to move forward. He handed the letter to the older man whose grin widened as the gesture.

"You've done quite a good job, my boy!" he praised, "I reckon your father must be very proud of you."

"Is he really, Cap'n Kirkland? Oh, if only he could see me now!" Peter cried with joy.

The man's emerald eyes danced with warmth though his expression remained the same. With one gloved hand, he reached inside his pants' pocket and pulled out a small dagger. He ripped the envelope open and devoured its contents.

"I see. They don't seem to be very bright when it comes to war. All the more fun to see them in the battlefield…" he laughed to himself. He returned the dagger to its sheath and placed the papers in his coat.

"Cap'n…" Peter softly called out, "You're not gonna hurt the Queen, are ya? She's been real nice to me and a good lady like her doesn't deserve to die…"

Captain Arthur Kirkland smiled. The same smile he gave to all those children whose mothers he defiled and whose fathers he killed.

"Don't worry, pet…" he said affectionately, "I will spare her Highness…"

Peter sighed, relieved.

"_For it brings me more pleasure to see her plead for her daughter's life than to see her beg for her own…"**_

* * *

__*Vladimir – it's the human name I gave to Romania. I just couldn't resist putting him in here!

**For it brings me… - it's italicized for a reason since it's only said in Arthur's thoughts and Peter never heard a word of it.


	4. Chapter 4

The night came by ever-so-slowly for Princess Lili as she sat at her usual place by her bedroom window. She stared longingly at the sunset and wished that she could be near enough to touch it. But once again, realty denied her that wish. Just like how it denied all her other wishes of freedom.

"Lili, dear, may I come in?" her mother's sweet voice called out from her bedroom door.

"Please, come in Mother."

The door creaked open and Queen Elise walked in dressed in her satin night gown. As she closed the door behind her, her eyes never left Lili's lonely face.

"What troubles you, my child?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the soft bed.

Lili smiled. "Nothing, Mother…" she lied, "I never thought that watching the sun set would be so entertaining…"

The Queen smiled knowingly. "Lili, I am your Mother. I know you more than you know yourself and I know you are as interested at watching the sunset as a tiger is interested in eating cabbage!"

Lili giggled, amused at her Mother's attempt at lightening up the mood. "Oh, Mother… I know you can never understand even if I told you what was troubling me…" she confessed.

Elise raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

Lili puffed up her cheeks, something she often did when she mentally argued with herself. "Well…" she began slowly, "M-May I go out tonight?"

The Queen stiffened, making Lili slump down her chair. But she slowly began to smile telling the young woman that she had no need to be so upset.

"Of course, my dear…" she replied, "If you could get your Father to agree…"

Lili felt her heart sink deeper into her chest. It was easy to ask her Mother for permission. The Queen would spoil her rotten if the King would allow her. But to ask her Father for freedom was another story.

"Can't you tell him for me?" she begged. She walked towards her mother and sat beside her, letting her smaller head fall on the former's shoulder.

"If you want to go out that badly, you have to ask him yourself…" Elise replied sternly, a smile on her face.

"He'll never allow me to leave! He'd get cross with me and send me to my room right away!" she complained.

"Well, honey, you won't know unless you try…"

"…"

"So, will you come with me and ask him?"

"I… I'm scared of him, Mother… I-I-I'd rather stay here…"

The Queen sighed, kissing the young woman's forehead. "If that's what you want dear, have it your way…"

She sat up and left, leaving a very confused and angry Princess. Lili wasn't angry at her Mother and Father, though. She was furious at her weak self.

"I wonder if I ever get the courage to leave this place…"

With that in mind, she lay down on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"Sssh. Be quiet, will you?!"

"It's not my fault _prinzessin _can't get enough of my ass!"

"G-G-Gilbert! I would never-"

"Yeah right, Roddykins… As if you never thought about it…"

"Elizaveta! You as well?!"

Lili stirred in her sleep, disturbed by the voices she heard from her door. She blinked a few times before opening her eyes. She looked around her bedroom and saw that it had already gotten dark. She guessed that it might have been past midnight since most of the light from the Central seemed dim as well.

"Sssh. I think she's awake. Good job, Gil! You woke her up!"

Lili sat up when she heard Elizaveta's familiar voice. She slowly got up, slipped on her sandals and walked cautiously towards the door. The white sun dress she wore flowed in the wind that came in through her open window and her long hair proved to be a nuisance as she tried to peak through the door's keyhole.

Elizaveta was standing right in front of the door; her green skirt was the only thing Lili could see. That and what seemed to be a frying pan that was sticking out from her right hand. Gilbert was standing beside her, casually dressed in a shirt and trousers. They seemed to be arguing with Elizaveta wagging her finger at the albino's face.

"I told you! We're just going to take her out for a bit. Poor girl deserves to see the world, right?" Lili heard the knight say.

The young woman's heart skipped a beat. "Are they really planning to take me out?" she thought excitedly, pressing her ear closer to hear more.

"And what if we get caught, Gil? What then? The other servants would think **we're **the one who're planning the treason!" Elizaveta reasoned.

Lili pouted. "Elizaveta! I know you would never commit treason!" she thought, "I'll be more than willing to let you kidnap me!"

"Think about it, Veta. Zat girl has wanted freedom the moment we met her. Aren't ve doing her a favor?"

Lili nodded, pressing even closer to the door. "He is right, Elizaveta. Oh please, please take me out tonight…" she silently begged.

Elizaveta sighed. "Roderich?" she plainly said, looking at the brunette behind Gil.

"Her Highness has been rather… Lonely lately and I suggest she should be the least bit rebellious at her age…" was the man's reply.

Elizaveta gave up. After all, she had been the same when she was Lili's age. She was worst, since she **did** steal the family horse and ran off with her father's savings. And since the poor child seemed to ache for freedom, why not give it to her?

"Fine. We're letting her out. But, just for tonight and tonight only. No other exceptions…"

Lili's heart soared. The moment Elizaveta pushed open the door; the former threw it open and wound her arms around the older woman's neck.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried out repeatedly, choking the life out of the laughing woman.

"Hush, your Highness. Your parents might hear us…"

Lili released her from her tight grip and shrugged shyly. "I'm sorry…" she apologized, "I know eavesdropping is wrong but…"

"Who cares?" Gilbert interrupted, "Get yer coat and we're outta here…"

Lili smiled widely, running inside her room to get the coat Elizaveta had earlier put in her wardrobe. She tossed the thing on and followed the trio as they tiptoed across the dimly lit halls and down a flight of stairs. Once at the foot of the stairs, the group heard the sound of footsteps.

"Freeze!" Gilbert alerted them of the guards. He motioned for them to press against the wall and hold their breath. As the footsteps grew fainter, Gilbert tilted his head towards the one of the castle's secret doors.

Elizaveta nodded and took Lili's hand, guiding her towards a seemingly normal wall. Lili watched with extreme fascination as Gilbert tapped on a loose stone, sending an entire portion of the wall to move back, allowing access to a dark tunnel.

"Stay close, your Highness…" Elizaveta whispered, gripping Lili's hand tighter. The latter nodded in reply.

They made slow progress through the dim passageway. It was mostly Lili's fault for she kept stumbling and tripping on the small stones scattered throughout the tunnel. Her three companions had been very understanding and patiently waited for her to get up everytime she stumbled. After all, it was the Princess' first time to venture out of the castle.

After what seemed to be a century of walking in the dark, Lili could see a faint light at the other end of the tunnel. She sensed they were nearing the exit and quickly picked up her pace. The others followed suit. The light became brighter and brighter that it was blinding. Lili closed her eyes to adjust them to the new light and when she opened them, she found herself in a pub.

"_Hola__, mi __princesa__!_" a tanned man greeted, stretching out his hand.

Lili looked pleadingly at Elizaveta, who nodded in response. She gingerly took the man's hand and was surprised at his actions. Instead of shaking it, he pulled her close, lifter her up and spun her around and around.

"Antonio, stop it! You'll make the poor girl dizzy!" a familiar voice nagged.

Lili peeked above Antonio's shoulder and caught the eye of Laura who smiled and curtseyed at her. "Your Highness…" she mouthed.

Antonio released his firm grip on Lili's waist and carefully lowered her back down. "Ah, sorry Laura!" he apologized, scratching the back of his head. "It's just… She's so cute I couldn't resist! Ah! But he's not as cute as my Lovi, though…"

"Shut up, bastard!" the man behind Laura yelled. He walked towards the laughing Antonio and swatted his arm. The latter pulled on the one unruly curl in the man's mass of dark hair, earning him another swat in the arm.

"Don't you dare touch my curl!" the man threatened.

"Don't worry, Lovino, everybody knows what'll happen when we pull your curl!" Elizaveta joked, "No need to be embarrassed about it!"

"Does the Princess know?" Lovino spat.

All eyes were on Lili who shook her head in reply. "I-I-I won't tell, I promise!" she stammered.

They all laughed. Lili wondered what was funny and looked to Elizaveta for support. But the older woman just shook her head.

"She'll cry if we continue laughing at her…" Roderich spoke, clearing his throat.

"Don't you know how cute you are, _hija_?" Antonio asked.

"Don't bother asking, Tony, she won't answer you. She herself doesn't know how cute she is…" Elizaveta replied in a serious tone.

"Enough with the laughing, seriously!" Gilbert had already seated himself on the counter and was now looking very sternly at Antonio. "Got any good beer today, Tony?"

Antonio replied with a wide smile. "_Si_! I'll bring it out for us!"

Laura rolled her eyes. "I'll go make you some juice, your Highness…" she informed Lili before disappearing towards the kitchen door.

"Uhm… Miss Elizaveta…" Lili whimpered, tugging at the hem of Elizaveta's sleeve.

"Please, your Highness, skip the 'Miss'. It makes me sound old!" she laughed, "And if Gilbert heard you say that, I will never be able to hear the end of it!"

"Oh… Uhm, okay… Elizaveta, then?" Lili corrected herself.

"That'll do, Lili…"

The Princess blushed at the mention of her name. Elizaveta gave her a reassuring smile and she felt less nervous. They had erased the line between mistress and servant and reduced themselves to the formality of longtime friends. Lili had never been out before, yet here she was listening to Gilbert and Roderich argue and watching Elizaveta as she picked Laura up and swung her around to the beat of an imaginary orchestra. The atmosphere had been so perfect that she never gave a thought that they were missing someone.

But, they **were** really missing someone. And as the door slammed open, a silence fell across the room and all eyes darted towards the newcomer.

Lili, too, directed her attention towards the cloaked figure by the door. The moment he took of his dark green shroud, Lili felt her heart skip a beat as a pair of cyan eyes met hers. They both stared at each other, words failing to escape their mouths. She watched as he blushed at the sight of her. She felt heat run up to her cheeks as well. They knew they were looking at each other longer than necessary. And yet, none of them wanted to break the contact. The only person who broke their silent conversation was Antonio.

"Welcome back, Vash!"

"Y-Y-Yeah… I-I-I'm back…" Vash stuttered in reply.

Lili shrugged. "Welcome?" she said meekly.

"_D-D-__Danke_…" he replied, walking unsteadily towards one of the bar stools. "Antonio… Give me your strongest beer. Scratch that; give me your lightest one. Or maybe just water… Argh! Anything to make that illusion of the Princess go away!" he pointed towards Lili who slightly jumped at his sudden outburst.

Gilbert and Elizaveta shared knowing glances. "Vhat's wrong, Swissy?" Gilbert leered, "You're not crushing on the Princess, are ya?"

Lili blushed and was about to protest but Elizaveta grabbed her shoulder and pressed one finger on her lips.

"_Nein!_" Vash yelled, slamming his fist on the counter. "Why would you say that?"

"And vhy would you be hallucinating about her? Huh, Swissy?" Gilbert pressed, taking the glass of beer from Antonio and handing it to the smaller man.

"Go and die, Gilbert."

Gilbert laughed triumphantly. "You hear that, Veta?" he said aloud.

Elizaveta motioned for Lili to go sit next to Vash. The Princess did as was told and carefully made her way towards the empty stool beside the man. Once seated, she laid a hand on his shoulder causing him to jerk away.

"Y-Y-You're **real**?!" Vash exclaimed. Lili meekly nodded.

* * *

**K/N: **I'm sorry for the very late update. Tests are coming up and I've been cramming like crazy. Oops! I mean studying... Yeah, studying... Let's go with that... So I hope you enjoy this... Even though it's a cliff hanger.


	5. Chapter 5

What happened next was all a blur. Vash jerked away from Lili's touch but ended up falling on the pub's wooden floor. Gilbert had the nerve to laugh at his face so the embarrassed blonde threw his beer at him. The albino managed to dodge and the mug went "splat" on the wall right behind Elizaveta. The woman stopped swinging Laura around and turned to look at Vash angrily.

"Vash, dear, don't throw beer mugs at random albinos, okay?" Elizaveta had a smile on her lovely face, but the ice in her voice could have frozen every man in the room.

Vash could feel a chill run down his spine as he steadied himself up. "I thought you knew better than to go along with Gilbert's nonsense, Elizaveta…" he coughed, trying to regain his lost confidence.

Elizaveta's brow twitched. "Excuse me?"

Vash eyed her from the corner of his eyes. "Don't pretend like you didn't do anything…" he continued, "Gilbert would never have been able to get Her Highness out of the castle without your help…"

Elizaveta squared her shoulders. "Listen here, Vash…" she walked toward him, shrugging off Laura's hand. "Have you ever thought about what Princess Lili here wants?"

Vash looked at the Princess as she sat there, her hands folded perfectly over her lap. "It's not about her wants, Elizaveta…" he replied, "It's about her needs. I was tasked to protect her because she _needed _to be safe…"

Elizaveta rolled her eyes. "She doesn't need you to protect her, Vash!" she yelled.

"She can darn right protect herself!" Gilbert butt in, putting an arm leisurely over Lili's shoulder, "She kicked your ass pretty easily last time, didn't she?"

Lili blushed and nodded. "I-I'm fine…" she murmured.

"What she needs isn't protection, Vash…" Elizaveta continued, "It's freedom…"

Vash looked at her once again, her fragile smile sending a blush creeping up his face. He shook his head vigorously, turning to face Elizaveta once again. "What are you trying to say?"

"It's just for the night, Swissy!" Gilbert chimed, hugging Lili closer to his side.

Elizaveta swatted the albino's shoulder. "Don't mind him…" she said, "Just for the night, Vash…"

Lili smiled at him. "Please?" she mouthed.

Vash took a deep breath, looked at the ground, and sighed. "Fine…" he finally replied, looking right at Elizaveta's eyes, "Just for the night, and she's gonna be back home…"

Elizaveta looked up at the roof then smiled. "You've got a deal!"

"That's good, _Princesa! _You can dance here to your heart's content, _si?_" Antonio smiled, bringing out a guitar from under the counter.

"Oh, not again!" Lovino yelled, shaking his head.

"Dance with me, Lovi!" Antonio begged, strumming an exotic tune on his guitar.

Lovino's brow twitched and he glared at the taller man. "Go and die, bastard!" he screamed, turning his head to face the wall.

Elizaveta laughed, taking Laura's hand and proceeding to turn her around and around. "Don't worry about him, Tony! Just play tunes for Laura and me!" she exclaimed.

Antonio winked and seated himself on one of the chairs scattered around the small room. "_Si, mi amiga! _Let's dance!"

The room burst into music and Lili couldn't help but join in the laughter and merrymaking. Although she stayed seated, she clapped her hands to the tune of Antonio's guitar. She even joined Elizaveta in cheering for Roderich as he and Gilbert dance awkwardly about the room. Once in a while she would glance at Vash who was sulking in the corner. And at the times their eyes met, he would quickly turn his head and ignore her.

"You want to dance with him, don't you?" Lovino said unexpectedly, pulling up a chair beside Lili.

She looked up at him and blushed. "He-He would never dance with me…" she replied, looking at the floor.

"I wouldn't say that…" he said laconically. When Lili looked at him, he pointed at Vash's direction.

Lili looked back at Vash and saw that Antonio was beside him, whispering something in his ear. Vash suddenly turned red as Antonio began to strum a quieter tune. The latter laughed and gave Lili a secret wink.

"Any moment know…" Lovino murmured.

Lili nodded unconsciously and watched as Vash ran a nervous hand through his hair. He coughed and made his way towards the Princess, looking anywhere but her face. He extended a hand at her and she looked up at him.

"Care to dance, your Highness?" he asked.

Lili's face lit up and she smiled brightly. Elizaveta gave her a "go ahead" sign and she gingerly placed her hand on Vash's.

Antonio continued to play on his guitar even though everyone else cleared the dance floor. Vash swayed Lili to the center of the room, trying his best not to hold her too close. He never once met her eyes and she was too bust staring at the floor to even care.

"Swissy's a bit red, ain't he?" Gilbert chuckled, earning a pinch on his arm from Roderich.

"He's just nervous, that's all…" Laura replied from beside the brunette. "Cut him some slack, Gil…"

Gilbert shrugged and returned to watching the two young people dance about awkwardly. When he spotted a discarded bottle on the floor, a wicked idea formed in his mind. He put his foot over it and rolled it towards Lili's foot. The Princess slipped on it and Vash was forced to hold her close to keep her from falling.

"I-I-I'm a clumsy dancer…" Lili admitted as their eyes finally met.

Vash shook his head, steadying her. "It's a-alright, your Highness…" he assured her, placing a hand on the small of her back, "I'll lead…"

"That's more like it!" Gilbert snickered when the two blonde started dancing closer to each other.

"That wasn't very nice, Gilbert…" Roderich muttered under his breath. He was about to say something more when he felt Gilbert's hand climb up his back.

"Well, I'm not that nice anyway." Gilbert grinned at him, making the brunette blush and turn away.

Lili and Vash were completely unaware of the two men as they continued to dance about the room. Antonio's strumming became sensual in the middle of the dance and Vash had the confidence to dip Lili. He watched in fascination as her hair fell like silk to the floor then went back in place when he lifted her back up.

She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but her own reflection there. He, too, was completely mesmerized by the glitter in her eyes.

"Ooh! They're about to kiss!" Elizaveta squealed.

"Sssh!" Laura cut in.

Antonio's strumming died down. Vash's steps kept getting slower and slower until he and Lili stopped in the middle of the room. He didn't let go of her hand and she kept her gaze in his. Then, he dipped his head down just as she stood on her toes. Just when their lips were about to meet, an explosion was heard from the distance.

Everybody jumped back.

"What was that?!" Laura cringed, leaning closer to Elizaveta.

The taller woman shared at glance at Gilbert and nodded. The albino took the hint and quickly slipped his hand off of Roderich. He walked towards the counter and grabbed the sword he had hidden under it.

"Antonio, take care of 'em!" he said, adjusting the belt on which he placed the sword in.

Antonio nodded and took Lovino's hand, leading him to the kitchen. "Get to the cellar, Lovi…" he whispered in the man's ear.

Vash didn't let go of Lili's hand as he handed her to Laura. The woman gladly took her into her arms, running a shaking hand over the Princess' braids.

"What's going on?" Lili's voice was shaky, scared.

"It's gonna be alright, your Highness…" Elizaveta smiled, producing a sword from under her green dress. She looked over at Antonio and gave a short nod. "We just need to handle something. No need to worry. Please, just follow Antonio; he'll know what to do."

Antonio took Lili's hand, his free one gripping the hem of Lovino's shirt. "Come with me, _princesa_, you and the others need to get to the cellar."

Lovino looked at him in fake disgust. "What the hell are you talking about? What's happening here, why are you pulling out your swords? Antonio, you bastard, listen to me when I talk to you!" Lovino yelled, pounding on the said man's chest.

Antonio looked at him and winked. "I'm simply following orders from Royal Knights. Now, stop asking questions and just go to the cellar, _si mi amore_?" his voice was sweet and cold at the same time, making Lovino's face turn tomato red.

Lovino rolled his eyes and pouted but proceeded towards the kitchen anyways. Antonio smiled and turned his attention towards Lili, who had been staring wide-eyed at the people hurrying about her. "Come, _mi hija, _I have to get you somewhere safe…" he whispered into her ear as he led her to the kitchen.

Lili proceeded to follow absentmindedly, but another loud explosion sent her senses back to earth. She scrambled to get away from Antonio's grasp and ran towards Vash. His face twisted in surprise as she stumbled into his arms, her body shivering and her eyes misty.

"V-V-Vash…" she stammered, fear clearly visible in her green eyes. "W-W-What's happening? What is causing all these explosions? Where are you and the others going?"

Vash took a deep breath and tightened his grip on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, your Highness… I was ordered to protect you, but here I am, leaving you in the hands of someone else…" he smiled weakly, kissing her forehead. "Do not worry for now; Antonio is as good a fighter as I am. He will make sure you're safe…"

She just stared at his stoic expression as he led her towards Antonio, who once again took her into his arms. "You can trust me, _amigo_, I'll protect her…" Antonio mouthed, sheer determination reflected in his eyes.

Vash nodded. He sees that Lili is too scared to even look up at him and is very busy admiring the floor. He takes this chance to warn Antonio. "If I see one scratch on her, _ich werde dich töten_..." he narrowed his eyes, drawing his thumb over his neck in a slicing motion.

Antonio's smile turned cold and he laughs. "You're a century too early to be killing me, _pequeño caballero_!" he taunts.

Vash nodded and turned towards the door. "_Auf wiedersehen, mein prinzessin…_"

Lili stared at the young knight's back as he retreated from her. She watched in total silence as Gilbert took the protesting Roderich and somehow managed to convince him to follow Lovino to the cellar. She listened to the hushed conversation between Elizaveta and Laura as the latter wished the former good luck before kissing her on the cheek.

"What is going on?" she thought as she let Antonio hand her over to Laura, who knelt down to look get a closer look at her pale face.

"Don't worry, my dear. If I know these three, they'll make it back without a scratch!" she said with false enthusiasm, the tremble in her hand giving away her own worries.

As the group began their descent to Antonio's cellar, another, louder explosion rang through the air. Lili turned just in time to see Roderich fall to the ground, his body trembling and his hand held over his ears. "Gilbert!" he yelled in panic.

Gilbert could hear the sound of his voice from the front door and he sprinted towards the open kitchen. He paused when he saw Roderich sprawled on the floor, his body shaking. "Gilbert! _Mein gott, _what's happening?" he yelled, sweat pooling on his forehead. Gilbert got down beside him and cradled him in his arms.

"Ssh, ssh, calm down… Calm down…" he soothed into the brunette's ear. He ran his hands up and down his back, trying to calm him down. "You gotta promise me something, little Roderich. Promise me you'll behave and do what Antonio here tells you to do, got it?"

Roderich nodded mutely and Gilbert kissed his forehead. "There's my little musician…" he smirked, helping the poor man up.

"_Siess_, Gilbert!" Elizaveta's voice came from the front door. "You're wasting time! Stop acting like some uncool hero and get your ass out here!" she yelled, her fist audibly pounding the door.

Gilbert let go of Roderich and winked. "I'll be back, keep that promise!" he yelled back as he ran away.

Much to Laura's surprise, Lili followed. She rushed after the young Princess, her hand managing to catch her wrist as she stopped by the door to the kitchen. "Vash! Where are you going?!" she yelled.

Vash whipped his head around and sighed. "It is none of you concern, your Highness. I'll be sure to take care of the matter immediately…" he said coldly, his stare piercing through Lili's body. "Laura, take care of her."

Laura nodded. "Please come, your Highness, _vous devez rester ici_…" she took her hand and led her away. Lili couldn't help but constantly look back to see the three people still conversing by the door. She felt worried at the look on Vash's face. It looked different from his usual scowl; it looked as if he was _**hoping **_for something that he was sure would not happen. The next words from Elizaveta send her heart diving into a sea of panic…

"To sum it all up, Kirkland's after the Crown…"

* * *

Lili couldn't grasp what she was going through. She stared at the cold, dark floor of Antonio's cellar, very much aware of the explosions outside and the fear that each of the cellar's occupants hid behind their cool demeanor. She spared a glance at Laura, who smiled back at her when she caught her eyes. She quickly looked back at the floor, missing the concerned look Laura gave Lovino.

The golden-eyed man shrugged then sighed. "What the hell is going on out there? Are they expecting us to just stay here and not ask questions about what's really going on? What do they think we are, a bunch of idiotic brats whose brains are filled with sunshine and damn rainbows?!"

Laura giggled nervously. "Who knows what's going on out there? It must be some practical joke the local pranksters are pulling. You know, to get everybody's attention or something…" Laura joked, trying to lighten up the mood in the dingy cellar.

Lovino caught on. "You may be right. But, it could be some lazy servant from the kingdom over. You know, the Kingdom of Hei? The one run by that man with the long hair? Some bastard servant of his must have tripped and accidentally lit a bunch of fireworks and, bam, they explode! Man, if I were their Emperor, I would've beheaded that jackass without a second thought!" he laughed, his voice filling the silence in the air.

"There are many possibilities…" Roderich added, a slight blush still visible on his pale cheeks. "This may just be one of Gilbert's overcomplicated attempts to charm me. He will do just about anything to get to my nerves. Can he not understand I'm not interested?"

"Oh, really?" Lovino drawled, "And what I saw in the kitchen earlier was so obviously 'not interested'. Tell better lies, Roderich, you were dying to have him kiss you!"

Roderich turned all shades of red and gave a rather angry reply. Laura was giggling in her corner, happy that the mood in the cellar was starting to light up a bit. She spared a glance at Lili and her smile fell. The Princess still looked absorbed in her own world despite the noise Roderich and Lovino were making.

Truth be told, Lili couldn't care less about their argument. She was far too busy contemplating on Elizaveta's words. She had said something about Kirkland going after the 'Crown'. This could have multiple meanings. This could mean he was after the throne, that he wanted to rule over Eweiß. Another would be that he was invading the castle as they sat there in Antonio's lonely cellar. The worst possibility would be that he was out to kill the Royal Family…

"Oh no!" Lili thought as realization dawned upon her. Vash and the others had rushed out so fast because Captain Kirkland was after _**her **_family… And with them out of the picture, he would then go after Lili…

"I have to get out of here and find Vash!" the young Princess concluded. She glanced at the cold steel door that stopped her from finding her knight and saw that light was shining through its keyhole. That meant only one thing; Antonio was finally back from his survey of the pub. She could hear the sound of his boots as he walked closer and closer to the door. Mere seconds later, a shadow blocked the door's keyhole and Lili held her breath.

"Are you guys alright back here?" Antonio asked, opening the door. Just when he opened it wide enough for him to step in, Lili rushed forward and used all her weight to push him down. He fell to the floor with a loud 'thud', his pole axe falling not far beside him.

"Your Highness!" Laura yelled, struggling to keep up with the agile youth. Lili looked back once, nodded, and then ran to the door ignoring all their protests. Before Laura could catch up to her, Roderich grabbed her hand.

"She needs to do this on her own…" he mouthed, his hand gripping her harder.

Laura breathed out and nodded, silently praying for the young Princess' safety.

* * *

Lili continued to run to the door, not minding that none of the others had followed her. Stopping a mere inch from the exit, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"_Ich bitte um Ihre__Führung,__für Stärke und__Mut__. __Schauen Sie unten__auf mich mit__Barmherzigkeit.__Gib__meiner bescheidenen__Plädoyer."_

As she finished her prayer, she gripped the knob and turned it. She stepped out unto the Central Square and was greeted by the crimson of burning flames. She stood immobile, her eyes scanning the streets. Little children are crying, calling out for their parents, stumbling in their haste to escapes their fiery homes. She could see men carrying buckets of water, dousing the fires until they hiss in defeat. And there, in a dark region between two unburned buildings, was a wounded knight. Before him, a savage pirate, cutlass raised high up in the air.

"Stop!" she yelled, bending down to remove one of her heels. With deadly accuracy, she threw the heel at the man's vital regions, and he fell to the ground caressing the part between his legs. While the man was distracted, she removed her heel and threw it at his forehead. He staggered backwards and fell flat on the cobblestone sidewalk.

Lili took the opportunity to rush towards the injured knight. She put his arm over her shoulder and awkwardly helped him stand.

"Thank you, little one…" the man whispers into her ear.

She smiled back at him. But, the man's face fell as a shadow loomed over Lili's head. She turned to see the pirate which her heel had struck; his forehead red and his cutlass raised. Quick as lightning, she grabbed the knight's sword from its sheath. She ducked, narrowly avoiding the pirate's cutlass. With the wounded knight's weight bearing her down, she staggered backward just in time for the pirate to lunge at her. Shocked, she instinctively let go of the wounded man. Whimpering a small "sorry", she lunged in time with the pirate's attack. The cutlass missed her head but cut her cheek and her sword drove straight into his heart.

" _Möge Gott__verzeihe dir__deine Sünden.__Und__kann er__erbarme dich__meiner."_

She slowly removed the sword from the man's chest and moved back as the man crashed lifeless unto the ground. She threw the sword to the ground and turned her attention towards the fallen knight. She placed his hands back around her shoulder and supported his weight with her own. She dragged him through the river of people running to get away from the fire that was now spreading across the Square. She spared a moment to look back at the Casa de España, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw it was not in the fire's path. Once she found a sturdy brick wall, she gently put the man down to rest against it.

"Bless your soul, my dear child, bless your soul…" the man's voice was hoarse, pained.

"Don't thank me yet, dear sir, I have to bandage that wound of yours!" she giggled, gathering a bunch of her skirt and tearing it into strips. She carefully removed the man's chainmail and began to dress his open wound. When her work looked like it could at least last until help arrives, Lili slumped unto the sidewalk, her body completely exhausted.

The wounded man looked at her with new interest shining in his eyes. As she had bandaged him, he couldn't help but notice the familiar features the little girl had. Her long braided blonde hair, her jade eyes, her delicate fingers; they all reminded him of someone he was used to seeing in the palace. Then, it struck him… Could it be?

"Princess Lili?" he called out.

Lili looked up, smiled and nodded. The man's eyes grew wide and he struggled to kneel down before her. "Oh, your Highness, I beg your pardon. I had no idea it was you. It shames me to have appeared so weak in your presence. I apologize and-"

"It's alright, it's alright. No harm was done." Lili rushed to stop him from saying more. She laid a hand on his wound and gently pulled him back down. "No need to be so formal around me, we're not in the palace after all."

"But, how did you-"

"Escape?" Lili finished, "None of that matters now. All that matters is that I get back to the castle. I need to see if my parents are okay, if they're still alive."

The soldier nodded. "The last time I saw His Majesty, he was armed with his broad sword striking down five pirates at a time. Her Majesty was also doing well, her rapier doing better work than the enemies' cutlasses." He informed her, "_**You **_should be the one worrying, your Highness. I hear that these bastards' Captain is looking for you in particular…"

"Well, let's make sure he ever finds me then…" Lili whispered, producing a tiny dagger she had always kept hidden on her thigh. Without a single word, she gathered her long braids and swiftly brought the dagger through them. She let her hair fall to the ground as she shook her head, adjusting to the feel of the wind on the back of her neck.

The knight looked on, dumbfounded. "Y-Y-Your Highness! W-W-Why did you do that?" he stammered, gathering her hair in his palm.

Lili smiled sweetly at him. "This kingdom has served me well by protecting me…" she began as she rose to her feet, "And as your crowned Princess, it is my sworn duty to protect you in return…"

She walked away from the wounded man, waving back to assure him she would be alright. After all, her father _**did **_spend his life teaching her how to wield a sword by the age of four. Luckily, there just happened to be a thin arming sword that was discarded not too far from her and she picked it up immediately.

Unsheathing the beautiful blade, she cut her ruined dress until the skirt was at knee-length. She removed her stockings and tied it on the sword's sheath, allowing her to tie the sword around her waist. With a renewed determination, she looked towards her castle. An explosion rang through the air and within mere seconds, her once magnificent castle was engulfed in flames.

"No…" she trembled, her hand on her heart.

There were important people in the castle. There was her Father, her Mother, the knights… There was…

"_**VASH!" **_

* * *

**K/N: **I made Liechtenstein into something relatively close to Mulan! What did I do?! She sounds so-so-so _**COOL**_! Anyways, I always thought that Liech could be something more than the innocent little sister type. I guess this is how I envisioned her real strength. Hopefully in the next chapter, nothing bad will happen to Vash. Will he get hurt? Will he _**die**_? Oh my glob, noooo! /shot/

**Translations: (Thanks, google!)  
***Mantegna calma, princesa - Keep calm, princess...  
**ich werde dich töten - I'll kill you  
***pequeño caballero - little knight  
****Siess, Gilbert - hurry, Gilbert  
*****Vous devez rester ici! - you need to stay here  
******Ich bitte um Ihre Führung, für Stärke und Mut. Schauen Sie unten auf mich mit Barmherzigkeit. Gib meiner bescheidenen Plädoyer. - I ask for your guidance, for strength and for courage. Look down upon me with mercy. Grant my humble plea.  
*******Möge Gott verzeihe dir deine Sünden. Und kann er erbarme dich meiner. - May god forgive you for your sins. And may He have mercy on mine.


End file.
